


Holy Night

by notjustmom



Series: Sherlock Christmas Ficlets 2017 [24]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, M/M, Retirement, Sussex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 12:28:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13123722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: Prompt 24: Holy night/Mittens and Gloves





	Holy Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scrub456](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrub456/gifts).



Sherlock stood at the window watching the snow continue to fall. He had never had much use for religion, or ritual as such, but as he watched the stillness of the world outside become covered in drifts of snow, he recalled a night, much like tonight, except very different. Rosie had been seven, and had watched as he packed the bag of mittens, gloves, hats, scarves and small gifts that he was going to take to the members of his Homeless Network. 

"What are you doing, Da?" Rosie had asked.

"I have friends that are going to be cold if I don't give them things to help them stay warm."

"Why?"

He remembered sitting down and pulling her into his lap. "Because some people aren't as lucky as we are, they don't have a safe, warm place to stay."

"Why can't they live with us?" Rosie asked, as if it was the simplest answer in the world.

He had tried to give her an answer that made sense to both of them. If he could have, he would have tried harder to do more. At the same time, he had once been one of them, and wanted, needed to be away from the world's expectations, and he had found a family he could trust, and never judged him- "Da?" She had reached up and patted his cheek with her small hand. "Why can't they live with us?"

"It's not that simple, Ro. If it was, you know I would do that. Do you want to come with me? You'd have to bundle up warmly, it's not snowing yet, but it's supposed to start soon, that's why I want to do it tonight, and it's Christmas Eve."

"Can I, Papa?" John had walked in during their discussion and he nodded. 

"Of course, we'll all go, how about that? Why don't we make sandwiches for them, Rosie?" 

"And we have all those extra biscuits - Santa won't mind, will he, Da?"

Sherlock remembered choking up and shaking his head. "No, Ro, Santa won't mind." 

 

He removed his glasses and wiped his eyes as he felt John's arms wrap around him from behind.

"Hey."

"How are they?"

"Rosie is disappointed they can't get here this year, but she and Lily are packing up the bags, they've got some neighborhood kids involved this year, and they received a lot of brand new coats, they are going to take them to the shelters. She's never missed a year, after that first one. That's all you, you know."

"No, John. She has your generous spirit, and you taught her to never give up on people. You could have given up on me so many times, but you didn't."

John turned Sherlock in his arms and looked up into his eyes, "I could never give up on my heart, love. You and Rosie are my heart. You know that, don't you?

Sherlock nodded and pulled John against him tightly. "I know, John, I know."


End file.
